What is a Soundbar for

Slowly but surely Soundbars have become more and more popular. You are here because you have seen them in local retailers or online and thought to yourself, “What is a Soundbar for?”. As always, you have come to the right place. Soundbars have seemingly taken over the Home Theater Surround Sound market, in this article I will explain why and give you a few options to choose from.

What is a Soundbar?

To understand why Soundbars are a thing, you need to realize that over the years Televisions have become thinner and thinner. Old TVs contained pretty decent speakers because they had a fair bit of room behind the TV to house them. Fast forward to 2019 and all manufacturers have opted for near credit card thickness displays over “decent speakers”, LG even make a display that vibrates to reproduce sound.

With TVs inbuilt audio suffering and the world moving to a less is more approach, traditional Home Theater Systems have also suffered. They will still exist, but they will go the way of the record player, available to the Audiophiles at a higher price point. All this movement opened up a gap in the market, that gap has since been filled by Soundbars.

Photo by MILKOVÍ on Unsplash

Think of Soundbars as a compacted Home Theater Surround Sound System. Traditionally a Soundbar contains the Left, Right, and Center speakers, and it usually has an external Sub Woofer. This set up will mimic surround sound but if you pay attention you can notice that all the sound is coming from one point. Some manufacturers have opted to include rear wireless speakers, and I much prefer this set up over the latter.

The benefit of a Soundbar when it is paired to an Ultra-thin TV is its use of space. Most modern TVs are made to be mounted on the wall or sit on top of minimalist TV cabinets. Gone are the days of hulking TV cabinets that you keep all your surround sound and trinkets in. Soundbars pair nicely when they are also mounted to the wall or sitting just below your TV.

Hopefully, this brief breakdown has explained What is a Soundbar. If you have any questions please leave them in the comments below and I will respond to them all.

Buyers Guide

Soundbars come in main different shapes and sizes, they can also be very expensive or very affordable. Below I will run through some of the best options in my opinion, at most price points.

Under $100

Vizio SB3220n-F6

The Vizio SB3220n-F6 is one of the best Under $100 soundbars on Amazon at the moment. It is a 2.0 Channel Soundbar that will reach up to 97dB with less than 1% distortion. It is also a capable Bluetooth speaker and contains a few different surround sound codecs – DTS TruSurround, DTS TruVolume, DTS Virtual:X, and Dolby Audio. This may all sound confusing, but all it means is that this sub $100 soundbar is packed with features. Its minimalist design is also a nice touch.

Between $100 and $150

Vizio SB2821-D6

Think of the SB2821-D6 as the Vizio SB3220n-F6 bigger brother. You get all the features mentioned above with a slight bump to 100dB. Plus a Wireless Subwoofer that can do as low as 50Hz. A Wireless Subwoofer is a must because you can position it in your room in the best place possible, with wired systems sometimes that best place is nowhere near your TV, and you are usually limited by those wires. The design language is the same as above, sleek and minimal.

Between $150 and $500

JBL Bar 3.1

The JBL Bar 3.1 is the next level up from the previous soundbars mentioned. It’s a more expensive product, but with the price comes quality. JBL is a company that has been around for decades creating some of the best Audio Equipment money can buy. The Bar 3.1 is no exception, it can reach 103dB and has a wireless subwoofer as well. If you have a 4K TV you can watch 4K content and this soundbar will output 4K definition Audio. It will also work with your TV remote, so no need for another remote to control the soundbar separately.

$500 and above

Harman Kardon Enchant 1300

If you are in this price range pretty much anything you buy will sound amazing. Personally I like the Enchant 1300 for the way it reproduces sound and the way it looks, seriously, this thing is really good-looking. It is a 13 channel soundbar. Harmon Kardon has crammed 13 speakers into this Soundbar, 2″ woofers, two 1″ tweeters, one 3/4″ tweeter. This supposedly produces a very immersive sound profile that will fill any room. 98dB is its max volume, but with high-end audio you will almost always find lower max volumes for more audio clarity. This Soundbar has Google Home built-in which is a great addition. As with all the other Soundbars on today’s list, Bluetooth is also standard. You can also get a separate wireless subwoofer to round out the Enchant 1300.

In Summary

As you can see, there are a few different options when it comes to Soundbars. My favorite is the Jbl Bar 3.1 and if I had the expendable income I would get the Enchant 1300 in a heartbeat. But that’s just me.

Hopefully, this article has helped you figure out what is a Soundbar for and which one you could potentially pick up. If you end up buying any of the Soundbars mentioned above be sure to drop a comment and let me know what you think.

About The Author

Long story short I am a self-proclaimed Tech Head, I love almost anything with a smart feature and Google Assistant is my best friend. I run mobilemarv.com and I aim to be your one stop shop for anything Tech, Smart or Mobile

22 Comments

Thank you for the fantastic recommendations. I purchased a soundbar for my living room from AMazon and I went with one that cost a little over 75 dollars. It has been great! I love that you do not need to spend too much money to get great sound in your tv room. I am looking for a soundbar for the tv in my bedroom now. Do you recommend hanging the soundbar on the wall under the tv or setting it on top of a table under the tv? Does it make a difference in sound quality? Thanks!

Thanks for the great review. I have been looking to purchase a surround sound system for a while now and wasn’t sure to go with a traditional home theater system or a soundbar. But with a better understanding of what a soundbar is now, I’m definitely going with it as it it saves so much more space and looks elegant when mounted below the TV. Given my rather limited budget, Vizio SB2821-D6 seems like a pretty good option for me. I will definitely check it out. Thanks again for your recommendations!

The use of sound bars in replacement of home theater surround system is much more in demand in most countries with smaller space housing. Not only does it contribute to space saving but also does it job well when it comes to sound performance. It is much preferred because of its multi purpose function. I have lots of students who bring their own soundbar for practices and other extra curricular activities.

I would also agree that among your recommendations, I prefer the JBL 3.1 if it has to be used as a sound system for the house. Besides, this brand has been known for high quality products and I think its a perfect fit with modern TV. The design is also sleek, perfect for a minimalist interior. Thanks for taking time to share your best soundbar recommendation, Marv!

It is true that the sound bars have filled the void for the out of vogue home theater and the TV audio box. How time flies with technological innovations and ideas. I particularly like the sound bars because of their wireless quality and the performance. I own a JBL 3.1 and I can attest to its quality in performance. Simply awesome in discharge of function and the Audi quality cannot be more better than it is at the moment. Thanks

We have been thinking of getting a soundbar for under our TV as we have heard that they make a huge difference to the quality of the sound from both the TV and the music system.

The only thing is that there is just so much to choose from it is confusing to know which one is best. Which one would you personally recommend for a large open area lounge and kitchen area. I think it is about 6m squared.

You see I bought a new TV and it says it has a non visual speaker. I didn’t understand what that mean till I got my LED TV up the wall and next thing the speaker is really not up to my taste. Its good but not what I had expected so what do I do? I dont want the bulkiness of a home theatre and you too have said those things are going down the drain too very soon. Okay so this are really great sound bars and they are my next proffered alternative. I instantly loved the jbl when I saw it on the list and I’m happy you recommend it too. It is costly though but since it comes with good quality I’ll go for it!

These are really lovely suggestions you have given. I am a lover of music so most time i use it to relax my head after a stressful day. Recently I’m not really enjoying the sound from the one I have currently in my house. Although I have been using it for a long time now. I will get the Vizio SB3220n-F6,it seem very appealing to me. Thanks for sharing.

Just like in smartphone, the sound quality has been sacrifice because manufacturers are focused on the screen and camera. Maybe this is the reason why Bluetooth speakers and wireless headphones have been trending in the market. When it comes to speakers, i always settle for the average price or above average because cheaper brands tends to deteriorate faster and do not sounds good. I prefer the JBL sound bar.

A really wonderful recommendation this is. I often play video games with my son and most time I enjoy playing games with a very good sound system. My current soundbar isn’t giving me the desired sound I want. I would just go with the Vizio SB3220n-F6,I love its simplicity and the price is very okay. Thanks for the suggestion.

This is a really educative and interesting review to read. I have always know that sound bars are speakers buy I never thought of them to be well composed or modified. This post has really broadened my knowledge about sound bars and I am grateful about it. Picking a sound bar here,I would prefer the Enchant 1300 because of its quality sound production and its Google Home built feature. It must be a remarkable experience. Does it come with a Bluetooth connection feature?

I have a lot of friends that are using a soundbar for their smart TV, but I have not purchased one yet for my own. I decided to do a little research today to see if this was something worth investing in, so I was glad to come across your article on the subject.

The space requirement is a big plus for me, as I do not like the surround systems that often require wires all over your room and can look unsightly and are susceptible to pets chewing them into bits. The wireless systems are better but really more than I need.

Since the newer TVs are quite thin, the sound quality has suffered for sure. So in looking through the options, it seems that the JBL bar with the bass subwoofer would suffice for my needs. The price variation is depending on the power and accessories I assume. Is that correct? Thanks for the article, you have helped me make an informed decision today!

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“When you buy something from this website, I may receive an affiliate commission.
These are my opinions and are not representative of the companies that create these products.
My reviews are based on my personal own experience and research.
I never recommend poor quality products, or create false reviews to make sales.
It is my intention to explain products so you can make an informed decisions on which ones suit your needs best.”

Affiliate Disclosure

“When you buy something from this website, I may receive an affiliate commission.
These are my opinions and are not representative of the companies that create these products.
My reviews are based on my personal own experience and research.
I never recommend poor quality products, or create false reviews to make sales.
It is my intention to explain products so you can make an informed decisions on which ones suit your needs best.”